Add CONFIG_R8169 for 2.5 GbE support?

[geerlingguy]

Is this the right place for my bug report?

Yes*

*Though it's more of a feature request, but let me know if you'd like me to just open a PR for discussion instead.

Describe the bug

The Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4 opens up some new possibilities for networking with a Raspberry Pi. The Pi's exposed PCIe Gen 2 lane is perfect for 2.5 Gbps networking, which is a nice more-than-double speed boost over the built-in 1 Gbps NIC (and it can be used in tandem, for compact router builds).

I have already tested two cards that work with CONFIG_R8169 enabled, Rosewill's RC-20001 and Syba's Dual-2.5G card. And it seems that Radxa's new Taco board also includes the Realtek 8125b chipset.

I can install the driver manually from Realtek's website, and it works at least on the 64-bit Pi OS build, but it would be convenient, since it is a reliable, inexpensive chipset (already being integrated into some CM4 projects), if the support were available in the base release.

To reproduce

Install the default kernel onto a Pi with a Realtek 8125b-based 2.5 Gbps NIC. Try to use the interface. lspci will show it, but no kernel module is available for it.

Expected behaviour

The NIC should be recognized and available to the system in addition to the built-in Broadcom NIC.

Actual behaviour

The NIC is not visible until after you manually install Realtek's driver or recompile the kernel with CONFIG_R8169.

System

• Compute Module 4
• Which OS and version (cat /etc/rpi-issue)? N/A
• Which firmware version (vcgencmd version)? N/A
• Which kernel version (uname -a)? N/A

Logs

lspci output:

Click to expand output

``` 04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8125 (rev 04) Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. Device 8125 Control: I/O- Mem- BusMaster- SpecCycle- MemWINV- VGASnoop- ParErr- Stepping- SERR- FastB2B- DisINTx- Status: Cap+ 66MHz- UDF- FastB2B- ParErr- DEVSEL=fast >TAbort- SERR- [disabled] Region 2: Memory at 600100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=64K] Region 4: Memory at 600110000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [disabled] [size=16K] Capabilities: [40] Power Management version 3 Flags: PMEClk- DSI- D1+ D2+ AuxCurrent=375mA PME(D0+,D1+,D2+,D3hot+,D3cold+) Status: D0 NoSoftRst+ PME-Enable- DSel=0 DScale=0 PME- Capabilities: [50] MSI: Enable- Count=1/1 Maskable+ 64bit+ Address: 0000000000000000 Data: 0000 Masking: 00000000 Pending: 00000000 Capabilities: [70] Express (v2) Endpoint, MSI 01 DevCap: MaxPayload 256 bytes, PhantFunc 0, Latency L0s <512ns, L1 <64us ExtTag- AttnBtn- AttnInd- PwrInd- RBE+ FLReset- SlotPowerLimit 0.000W DevCtl: Report errors: Correctable- Non-Fatal- Fatal- Unsupported- RlxdOrd+ ExtTag- PhantFunc- AuxPwr- NoSnoop- MaxPayload 128 bytes, MaxReadReq 512 bytes DevSta: CorrErr- UncorrErr- FatalErr- UnsuppReq- AuxPwr+ TransPend- LnkCap: Port #0, Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, ASPM L0s L1, Exit Latency L0s unlimited, L1 <64us ClockPM+ Surprise- LLActRep- BwNot- ASPMOptComp+ LnkCtl: ASPM Disabled; RCB 64 bytes Disabled- CommClk+ ExtSynch- ClockPM- AutWidDis- BWInt- AutBWInt- LnkSta: Speed 5GT/s, Width x1, TrErr- Train- SlotClk+ DLActive- BWMgmt- ABWMgmt- DevCap2: Completion Timeout: Range ABCD, TimeoutDis+, LTR+, OBFF Via message/WAKE# DevCtl2: Completion Timeout: 50us to 50ms, TimeoutDis-, LTR+, OBFF Disabled LnkCtl2: Target Link Speed: 5GT/s, EnterCompliance- SpeedDis- Transmit Margin: Normal Operating Range, EnterModifiedCompliance- ComplianceSOS- Compliance De-emphasis: -6dB LnkSta2: Current De-emphasis Level: -6dB, EqualizationComplete-, EqualizationPhase1- EqualizationPhase2-, EqualizationPhase3-, LinkEqualizationRequest- Capabilities: [b0] MSI-X: Enable- Count=32 Masked- Vector table: BAR=4 offset=00000000 PBA: BAR=4 offset=00000800 Capabilities: [d0] Vital Product Data pcilib: sysfs_read_vpd: read failed: Input/output error Not readable Capabilities: [100 v2] Advanced Error Reporting UESta: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol- UEMsk: DLP- SDES- TLP- FCP- CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF- MalfTLP- ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol- UESvrt: DLP+ SDES+ TLP- FCP+ CmpltTO- CmpltAbrt- UnxCmplt- RxOF+ MalfTLP+ ECRC- UnsupReq- ACSViol- CESta: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr- CEMsk: RxErr- BadTLP- BadDLLP- Rollover- Timeout- NonFatalErr+ AERCap: First Error Pointer: 00, GenCap+ CGenEn- ChkCap+ ChkEn- Capabilities: [148 v1] Virtual Channel Caps: LPEVC=0 RefClk=100ns PATEntryBits=1 Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- Ctrl: ArbSelect=Fixed Status: InProgress- VC0: Caps: PATOffset=00 MaxTimeSlots=1 RejSnoopTrans- Arb: Fixed- WRR32- WRR64- WRR128- TWRR128- WRR256- Ctrl: Enable+ ID=0 ArbSelect=Fixed TC/VC=ff Status: NegoPending- InProgress- Capabilities: [168 v1] Device Serial Number 00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00 Capabilities: [178 v1] Transaction Processing Hints No steering table available Capabilities: [204 v1] Latency Tolerance Reporting Max snoop latency: 0ns Max no snoop latency: 0ns Capabilities: [20c v1] L1 PM Substates L1SubCap: PCI-PM_L1.2+ PCI-PM_L1.1+ ASPM_L1.2+ ASPM_L1.1+ L1_PM_Substates+ PortCommonModeRestoreTime=150us PortTPowerOnTime=150us L1SubCtl1: PCI-PM_L1.2- PCI-PM_L1.1- ASPM_L1.2- ASPM_L1.1- T_CommonMode=0us LTR1.2_Threshold=0ns L1SubCtl2: T_PwrOn=10us Capabilities: [21c v1] Vendor Specific Information: ID=0002 Rev=4 Len=100 ```

Additional context

I would be happy to submit a PR if this change is acceptable.

[pelwell]

CONFIG_R8169=m is already set in the 32- and 64-bit Pi 4 defconfigs, and the module is shipping as part of our standard firmware: https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-firmware/blob/master/modules/5.10.78-v7l%2B/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169.ko https://github.com/raspberrypi/rpi-firmware/blob/master/modules/5.10.78-v8%2B/kernel/drivers/net/ethernet/realtek/r8169.ko

[geerlingguy]

Oh, interesting... do you know if that was added more recently? I last tested with a build from a few weeks ago, and I had updated it a few days ago, but it was the Buster image and not the latest Bullseye release.

[geerlingguy]

I performed a dist-upgrade on a fresh install of Bullseye, and after had:

pi@bullseye:~ $ uname -a
Linux bullseye 5.10.63-v8+ #1459 SMP PREEMPT Wed Oct 6 16:42:49 BST 2021 aarch64 GNU/Linux

Then I ran sudo rpi-update and ended up with:

pi@bullseye:~ $ uname -a
Linux bullseye 5.10.78-v8+ #1484 SMP PREEMPT Thu Nov 11 16:37:26 GMT 2021 aarch64 GNU/Linux

pi@bullseye:~ $ lspci -v
...
04:00.0 Ethernet controller: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller (rev 04)
    Subsystem: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. RTL8125 2.5GbE Controller
    Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 66
    I/O ports at <unassigned> [disabled]
    Memory at 600100000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=64K]
    Memory at 600110000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=16K]
    Capabilities: <access denied>
    Kernel driver in use: r8169
    Kernel modules: r8169

So... nice! Do you know when this change will trickle down to the stable firmware?

[pelwell]

Sorry - I can't put my finger on my crystal ball.

[geerlingguy]

@pelwell - It was worth a try ;)

I'll close this as 'fixed' anyways. That was the easiest feature request ever!

[geerlingguy]

Adding link to the PR where this was merged just for crosslinking/reference purposes: https://github.com/raspberrypi/linux/pull/4625